Vending device



Dec. 26, ||I H MCKEE E1- AL VENDING DEVICE Original Filed Aug. 22. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l www 9,* @AWM ATTORNEY Dec. 26, 1933. H. H, MCKEE ET AL 1,940,722

VENDING DEVICE Original Filed Aug. 22. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a I l C/Pdr/@J Zsy/or Wd/Zer INVE TORS TORNEY Patented De'c. 26, 1933 N VEND'INGy DEVICE Harry H.` McKee and Charles T. Walter, Chicago,

- lll., assignors, by mesne assignments, to IndustrialPatents Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Original application August 22, 1929, Serial No. 387,614, now VPatent No. 1,837,625. Divided and this application 573,886

This invention relates to means for retail merchandising and is directed especially toa refrigerated Vending device. c

This application is a division of our applica- 'tion entitled Vending method and device, Serial Number 387,614, led August 22, 1929 and which has matured into Patent No.V 1,837,625, granted December 22,1931.Y

The main objects of the invention are to provide a refrigeratin'g and dispensing device adapted L 4 Ysiring meats which are not adapted for pre-cutto assure proper temperaturejcontrol of the meat and also facilitate rapid and economical dispensing of the meats either in standardized prewrapped packages or -in locally prepared packages and to provide such a deviceadapted to accoinmodate self-service aswell as personal service Y,

*by the retailer or his clerks, with respect to goods not adapted for standardized package merchandising or pre-wrapping.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, .in which:

Figure 1 is a plan of a vertically disposed cylindrical dispensing fixture, part of which is broken` away onthe line 1--1 of Fig. 2.

of Fig.A l vwith the right hand part shown in showing one of the automatic door closing, powerj operated friction hinges. Y,

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan substantially similar to Fig. 1 except that only a small part of the casing is removed to show the refrigerating coils. .Y

Fig. 7 is a vertical. section taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 3. Y p Y Y In the construction shown in the drawings the store fixture or vending cabinet is oiupright, cylvindrical shape, and comprises mainly a combined frame and wall part or shell 2, having dispensing doorsv 3 therein, compartments 4to receive the goods 5 from which the customers are to select, a refrigerating device 6, refrigerating coils 7 connected thereto, power operated fans 8 to circulate the air in said xture, automatic means driven by a motor 9 to close the doors 3, storage receptacles 10 to receive supplies of goods in quantity fromv the packers and adoor l1 to admit an attendant.

In using this device the drawers l0 are replenished from timeto time, as for instance daily. Thev wholesaler or packing house agent delivers Fig. 2is mainly a iront elevation of the device the door 3.

November 9, 1931. Serial No.

6 claims. (C1. efe-102) .pre-Wrapped package goods and also meat in bulk if desired, into the compartments 10. Then the local attendant or clerk, who may be stationed either continuously or periodically within theV I., central compartment transfers goods 'from the 60 `drawers 10 to the compartments 4 from'timeto time, vaccording to the rate at which they are dispensed to customers, and so `that the retailing compartments may never become entirely empty. In order to supply the needs 'of customers detingorfstandardized package use, a chopping mentlnot shown) may be supplied for use by. the attendant or clerk in charge of the device.

This mayY be located either adjoining the device, or within those having a large sized cabinet. Itis intended that such specialI orders may be conveniently riilled by such' attendant from apfpropriate stock in certain or" thedrawers 10, in

Awhich the goods are -of the same Ygeneral kind selectedby the customer and shown responding display part of the device. Y A The automatic doorsA 3 are carried by hinges .n 12,.,each of Vspecial lfriction design and connected with" the source of power 9. The construction of the hinges is illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, land 5. The hinge hereshown kcomprises two leaves 13 and 14, one being xed to the shell 2 and the other Vto All of the hingesfor a vertical line of doors have a common pintle shaft 15 which is connectedthrough a common drive connecting in the lcorchainand a reducing gear mechanism 16 to said motor 9. Each hinge includesa pair of washers 17,` keyed to the shaft 15, and a helical compression spring 18 bearing against said washers, whereby the latter are held frictionally against the inner sides ofthe two arms 19 of the movable hinge leaf 14. The pintle shafts l5 are all caused to rotate in a direction to close the doors 3, as, for example, in a counter-clockwise directionr as viewed from the top. The hinge leaf 13 has a sleeve partrl3 which encloses the pintle shaft l5 and spring 18. v

Each shaft 15 is provided at its top with a gear 20 iixed' thereon and these gears are all .xtur'e 22 having a lamp23, a reflector 24, and

also preferably` having` a display vportion 24 110 housing provided adapted to receive an appropriate title or legend describing the goods.

When a customer has inspected the goods and nds what he desires in the display, he grasps one of the door handles 25 and pulls open the corresponding door 3, whereupon he may readily take one or more packages which may be placed in a basket or other receptacle, such as used in self-service stores. Before leaving the store the purchaser passes a checker and cashier, where payment or adjustment is made for the purchases.

As soon as the door 3 is released by the customer, it is automatically closed gradually; by the continuously rotating shaft 15, slowly enough to avoid slamming, but with suiiicient speed to prevent too much change oi temperature within the compartment 4.

The fans 8 drive chilled air downward from the overlying coils 7 through the display sectionsv li, which have mesh bottoms 26, whereby the meats are maintained at a uniform constant predetermined temperature. Y

Although but one general embodiment oi the device comprised by t is invention isl actually shown, it will be understood that details both as to the method and means for carrying out the invention, may be modiiied or omitted without departing from the spirit ci this invention asl defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A self-service vending device comprising a with a plurality of groups of dispensing compartments to receive the goods', the compartments of each group being arranged in a vertical series and provided at the iront with doors located at the walls oi the cabinet and having transparent portions to expose andV permit visual inspection of the goods and removal of the same, anda common reirigerating device `adapted and arranged to maintain the goods in each of the dispensing compartments in a refrigerated condition and at a substantially uniform temperature, said housing providing an attendantreceiving compartment which is provided with a main entrance door, from which attendantre ceiving compartment an attendant can replenish the goods in the dispensing compartments.

2. A selfservice vending device comprising a 1housing provided with a plurality of groups of dispensing compartments to receive the goods, the compartments of each group being arranged in a vertical series and having foraminous bottoms and provided at the front with doors located at the walls of the cabinet and having transparent portions to permit `visual inspection of the goods and removal of the same, with an attendant-receiving compartment having a main entrance door andv which attendant-receiving compartment can be employed as a place from which to replenish goodssupplied to the dispensing compartments by an attendant while within the attendant-receiving compartment, and with a cornmon refrigerating device located above the compartments and provided with means for forcing currents ofy cold air downwardly through the foraminous bottoms of the compartments to maintain the goods in each compartmentV of all of the groups in a refrigerated condition and at substantially a uniform temperature, which air is returned to the common rerigerating device by flowing into and thence upwardly within the attendant-receiving compartment.

3. A self-service vending device comprising a housing provided with a plurality of groups of dispensing compartments to receive the goods, the compartments of each group being arranged in a vertical series and having foraminous bottoms and provided with doors located at they walls of the cabinet and having transparent portions to expose the goods to view, with storage receiving spaces below the dispensing compartments, with an attendant-receiving compartment from which access is had to the rear oi the storage spaces and to the rear of the dispensing compartments, with a common refrigerating device having coils located above the groups of compartments, and with a plurality of fans arranged to force currents of air over the coils and through the foraminous bottoms of the dispensing compartments to maintain the contents thereof in a refrigerated condition andat a substantially uniform temperature, the arrangement being such that the air employed for cooling is returned to the common reirigerating device through the attendantreceiving compartment.

4. A self-service vending device comprising a substantially cylindrical housing provided with a plurality o groups of dispensinggcompartments to receive the Goods, the compartments 01"' each group being arranged in a vertical series 'and having ioraminous bottoms and provided with doors located at the walls or" the cabinetand having transparent portions to expose the contents 0i the compartments to view, with a centrally located attendant-receiving compartment to which access is through a door closed main entrance, with Stor Yage spaces below the 4dispensing compartments,

the construction being such that the dispensing compartments and the storage spaces are acces-i sible from the central attendant-receiving compartment, vwith a common refrigerating device having circular coils 'located above the groups of compartments, and witha plurality of fans arranged to force currents ofv air over'the coils and through the foraminous bottoms of the compartmentsto maintain the" contents thereof in a Vrefrigerated condition and at a substantially uni-4 form temperature, the arrangement .being such that the air is returned upwardly through the central attendant-receiving compartment to the common refrigerating device.

. 5. A self service Yvending device or cabinet oi upright cylindrical shape comprising 'a housing or shell having dispensing compartmentswith door openings closed in the iront or" each, which dispensing compartments are in side by side group arrangement with thecompartmentsin each group arranged one above the ,othenst'orage spaces below said dispensing compartments and fa central attendant-receiving space access to'which is obtained by a main entrance normally closed (by a door constituting a part of the housingor shell, the arrangement being such that an attendant when in said central space can replenish from the storage spaces articles to be dispensed from the dispensing compartments. l

` 6. A self service vending device constructed as deiined in andby claim 5 and in which device there is reirigerating lmeans for effecting cooling Vof air and which cooled air passes downwardly for eiecting cooling of articles within the dispensing compartments then into the central attendant-receiving space and upwardly through the attendant-receiving space to the place where i" cooling thereof by the reirigerating means ,takes place preparatory to recirculation.

HARRY H. Merian. v

ki .itu 

